Smoking ban in 'education phase'

No citations for now

Posted: Saturday, July 17, 2004

By From staff reports

Athens-Clarke County's new smoking ordinance, which prohibits smoking inside bars and restaurants except during late night and early morning hours, became effective Thursday, with the signature of Mayor Heidi Davison.

The ordinance allows smoking inside bars and restaurants between the hours of 11 p.m. and 7 a.m. Smoking is allowed 24 hours a day in outdoor cafes and on porches and patios.

Until Aug. 6, enforcement will be in an ''education phase,'' meaning that code enforcement officers will be visiting restaurants and bars, providing information about smoking restrictions and requirements for posting signs advising patrons of the restrictions.

No citations will be written during the ''education phase,'' according to a Friday news release from the county government.

Enforcement, handled jointly by Athens-Clarke police and code enforcement officers from the county's Community Protection Division, will begin Aug. 7. Enforcement will be complaint-driven, according to the news release.

Complaint-driven enforcement means that the ban will be enforced largely on the basis of citizens' specific requests for enforcement.

Violations can be reported through regular notification procedures, such as calling 911. Reported violations will be prioritized against other calls to ensure that potentially severe crimes are dealt with first, the Friday news release notes.

''In most other communities, smoking ordinances quickly become the norm and are self-enforcing. I believe this will be true in Athens as well,'' County Manager Alan Reddish said in the news release. ''I do not expect enforcement of this ordinance to require an unreasonable amount of law enforcement resources.''